Western Kentucky’s women’s basketball held off a UTEP comeback to secure a 65-59 win on Thursday night at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas.

The Lady Toppers have now won six straight games, tying Liberty for the longest current win streak in Conference USA.

WKU (15-5 overall, 6-2 CUSA) held a lead most of the game, but UTEP (9-10, 2-6 CUSA) made a push in the fourth quarter, taking a lead with 2:55 left in the game before a Lady Topper 8-0 run to end the game sealed the win for the Lady Toppers.

It was WKU’s 1,100th program win all-time. The Lady Toppers are just the 15th NCAA Division I team to reach 1,100 all-time wins.

WKU’s Alexis Mead scored the first points of the game on a 3-pointer. The Miners scored the next four points to take the lead, but a 3 from Josie Gilvin put the Lady Toppers back on top.

UTEP scored the next five points and held a lead until a 5-0 run by WKU with under three minutes to play put WKU ahead. That 5-0 run was part of a 11-2 run to end the first quarter, giving the Lady Toppers a 21-15 lead going into the second quarter.

Acacia Hayes scored the first four points of the second quarter, expanding WKU’s lead to 10. The Miners bounced back with a 7-0 run, but WKU rattled off an 8-0 run in response. UTEP scored the final basket of the half at the buzzer, giving WKU a 33-24 lead going into the second half.

The Lady Toppers scored the first four points of the third quarter and the two teams went back-and-forth for the next four minutes. The Miners cut the deficit to five with 3:04 left behind a 7-0 run. The Lady Tops’ Zsofia Telegdy stopped the run and once again the two teams traded baskets to end the quarter with WKU taking a 51-44 lead into the fourth quarter.

UTEP opened the fourth quarter with an 8-2 run to get within one. A layup from Mead put WKU back ahead by three, but the Miners scored five straight to take their first lead since the first quarter. A layup from Destiny Salary tied the score, but UTEP made two free throws to go back ahead by two.

The Lady Toppers closed out the game on an 8-0 run, including a a jumper from Mead, a putback from Gilvin and big free throws from Telegdy and Hayes.

Mead and Salary each had 15 points and seven rebounds, both marks leading the team. Mead also added three assists and two steals while Salary provided two assists.

Hayes had a nice bounce back game after missing the last game. She went off for 13 points, four assists, three rebounds, three steals and two blocks.

Zsofia Telegdy added 13 points and pulled down five rebounds.

For the 10th time this season, four different Lady Toppers scored in double figures. WKU is 8-2 this season when doing so. WKU improved to 11-1 on the season when scoring first.

The Lady Toppers have shot about 40% from the floor in five straight games. WKU improves to 13-0 on the season when shooting better than their opponent. WKU is 6-2 on the road this season.

The Lady Toppers stay on the road to take on New Mexico State on Saturday at 3 p.m. CT.